Radiator



March 22, 1932.

T. A. NOVOTNEY 1,850,601

RADIATOR Filed April 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f 117 .1. F .2. VI 1 y l 1I l i 4 INVENTOR Q i J 12 2412 a. M

Marci-122 1932.

RADIATOR Filed April 7. 1930 T. A. NOVOTNEY 2 sheets-sheet 2 PatentedMar. 22, 1932 1 ncome A. NOVOTNEY, or aomvsrown, rnnn'svrvnmaassrenon*120 NATIONAL.

nnnm'ron CORPORATION,- DELAWARE Application med April:- 7,

. 1 This invention is for animprovement in heating radiators, and is foraradiatorfespecially designed. to provide a relatively large radiatingsurface in a relatively compact 81 space. p 1

The tendencyin room heating with steam and hotwater systems istowardtheprovision of radiators built into the wall rather than setting outfrom the wall, these bu1lt-1n m radiator units being disposed gin,aspace through which the convective circulation of air. may bereadilyinduced. For instance, with such awall unit the radiator itselfis entirely concealeduwithin tllGaWiLll behlnd :16 paneling, which isopen both near the floor and above the top of the radiating unit. Coldair is drawn in from the floor heated by circulation around .theradiatorunit and discharged through the openings, at the top of 2 the panelabove the radiator unit.

Inasmuch as theaverage room wall thlckness is relatively small, it isnecessary for the radiatorunits to be exceedlngly compact and at thesame time provide a great deal of surface over which the air maycirculate to be warmed. The present invention, which relates primarilyto a cast metalunit, provides a radiator section which is exceedinglycompact, which provides a relatively large heat dissipating surfacerelative to the total over all dimensions of the section,"and one whichmay be conveniently arranged in various ways with other sections toprovide acompact heating unit of high efficiency. 7 s

, The invention may be readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings inwhich I f Figurel represents a front elevationof a single section made in accordance with my invention; a I v Figure 2is a transverse vertical section in substantially the plane of lineII-II of Fig. 1',--but through an assembly of two unitsarrangedface-to-face;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectionthrough a singlerad'iator section,thesection being sub stantially in the 'pl'aneof line 1II.III of Fig. 1';

Figure 4. is la'simila r sectionsubstantially 59 in the plane of line ofFig. 1

1930. Serial no. 442,122.

end of the unit V V and Figure 6 is atransverse section on a slightlylarger scale, through one end portion of one of the radiator sections,in substantially the plane of line VIVI ofFig. 1. s s

In the drawings I have shown each radiator section 2 as being providedwith three parallel columns 2 2". and 2. These columns, are connectedtogether at the center of the section by cross connections 3. Thecolumns terminate in hollow end portions 4:. The end portions areprovided on eachof the side faces of the sections with openings 6, asshown in Fig. 5,.having ground surfaces 7 for contact with adjacentsections. These openings have a very slight taper into whichconnectorsor caps may be forced, the caps being usedwhere the section is anoutside section, and the con nectors being used'where the section isadjacent another section. v In each end wall of the portion 4 is aninternally threaded opening 8 communicating with the interior space inthe radiator.

in Fig. 1, as through thelines or JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPORATION/OE:

Figure 5is a similar section through either i The purpose of thisopening is to provide for the insertion of a threaded nipple or threadedcap. Also, as shown in Fig. 6, thetop of the upperportion 4: and thebottom of the lower portion 4 are eachprovided with an internallythreaded opening 9 into which a screw plug or pipe may be screwed,depending upon whether. this opening is to be closed or whether it is tobe connected to another section or to a water or steam pipe. As thusarranged it will be seen that'each of theend portions .thas an openingat each end of the section, an opening in each side, face of thesection, and an opening in each edge-face of the section. The openings 8and 9 are intended for cooperation with threadedcouplingsor,caps,-'while the openings 6 are intended for the insertion offorce-fitted caps or nipples.

' Oneach side face of each section is a series of laterally projectingfins, these fins being 3 I designated 10 on one side of thesection and z11 on theother sideof the section. These I V fins are equally spaced,but the fins 1.1 are staggered with reference to the fins 1 0,.sothateach fin 11 lies in a plane half-way between two fins 10. These fins arecast integral with the radiator section, and project beyond the ends ofthe sections just the same as they project beyond the sides. It will benoted that the fins 10 and 11 project beyond the faces of the endportions 4 of the radiator, as clearly shown in Figure 2. By reason ofthis arrangement the fins of one section overlap the fins of an adjacentsection, as shown in Fig. 2, and by reasonof the staggered arrangementof the fins 10 with respect to the fins 11, the fins 10 of one sectionoverlap 'ing the fins 11 of the adj acentsection lie hal -way betweenthe fins 11.

'It will of course be understood by those skilled in the artthat acooling fin projecting a certain distance out from the prime heatingsurface will be eflicient for warming the air circulating about theradiator, but that beyond this point any further extension of the finsadds little or nothing to the efficiency, and the metal so used is ofpractically no benefit. The arrangement shown in the present inventionallows the fins to be the maximum width possible for the diameter of thewater columns which may be used, and this is only possible by reason ofthe overlapping arrangement of the fins. Since the fins project from theedges of the radiator sections aswell as from the wide side faces, itwill be seen that the staggeredarrangement permits the sections to bearran ed in edge-to-edge relation with the fins at t e edge of onesection interfitting but staggered with relation to those of theadjacentsection. It will-be noted by referenoeto F ig. 1 that the finsat the edges project a substantial distance beyond the plane of theedges of the portions 4. This is evident from the projection lines A-Ain Fig. 1. In Fig. 2 the distance which the fins project beyond the faceof the portion 4 is readily seen by reference to the projection lines13-13.

By reason of this arrangement cast metal heatingsections are providedwith a minimum of thickness and a maximum heat dissipating areaconsistent with the amount of prime surface provided by the water spacesof the radiator. By this arrangement it is possible to make heatdissipating fins of a width sufiicient to insure the greatestefiiciency, and yet allow adjacent sections to be very compactlyarranged. By reason of the arrangement of openings in the end portionsof the radiator it is possible to effect various combinations ofsections to get the greatest number of sections in a given limitedspace. For instance, two sections may be used 1n edge-to-edge relation,1n which case the sections are connected by a coupling leadingfrom oneofthe openings 8 in one section to a similar opening in the section aboveit, and the openings 6 are closed while the intake and outlet pipes-mayconnect into the openings 9. Also, as shown in Fig. 2, two sections maybe arranged parallel in face-to face relation, in which casecommunication between the sections is established through the openings6, and the openings 8 and 9 can be connected with water or steam pipesor plugged, as the exigencies of given installations may require.Obviousl any number of sections may be arranged 1n this face-tofacerelation, and one group of sections ar-' ranged in this way may bearranged in edgeto-edge relation above another grou of sections arrangedin the same way. The arrangement and disposition of the sections withrelation to each other is governed entirely by the amount of radiatingarea required and the amount of space available for its accommodation.Since installations of this kind are well-known in the art and themanner of arranging different groups of sections is also wellunderstood, I have not shown the various arrangements in detail, as thesame will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.- I

It is desirable in a structure of this kind that the air be brought intointimate contact with the heating surface, wherefor it is necessary tohave the fins closely spaced. The problem of casting the fins in an ironsection and getting them close together is one that presents aconsiderable difficulty. In the present invention the fins are spacedsufficiently far on each side of the section to facilitate casting, butwhere they overlap with the fins of another section, as shown in Fig. 2,the. space between the fins is broken up into-relatively smallpassageways. The arrangement, not only, however, gives the effect ofclosely spaced fins, but also ofi'ers some impedance to the circulationof the air 50 that it does not flow over the heating surfaces toorapidly.

'While I have stated the radiator as adapted for use where it is builtinto a wall, it may also be used with various enclosures, in unitheaters and wherever else compact sections are desired or necessary.

I have described a present preferred embodiment of my invention, but theinvention is not restricted to the specific construction and arrangementherein particularly described, and may be otherwise embodied within thescope of the following claims.

I claim: I

1. A radiator section comprising a prime heating portion having aplurality of columns and an end portion at each end of the section withwhich the columns of the prime portion communicate, a series ofregularly spaced laterally projecting fins on one face of the radiatorsection, the endsof said fins terminating in a plane beyond the plane ofthe side faces of the end portions of the radiator, and a similar seriesof fins on the other side face of the radiator sections staggered withrespect to the first series of fins.

q 2. An integral radiator section of cast metal comprising a'primeheating surface and a terminal portion at each end of the section, theterminal portions being of gr'eat er width and thickness than theintermediate portion, and a series of transverse integral fins on theintermediate portion, those .On one side of the section being staggeredwithrelation to those on the other, the fins projecting at both theedges and the faces of.

the section beyond the dimensions of the end portions.

3. A radiator section adapted to be ar-' ranged in face-to-face relationwith another similar section, or in edge-to-edge relation with anothersimilar section, having heat radiating fins thereon projecting beyondthe boundaries of the mainportion of the radiator at both theedges andfaces of the section, the fins on one face of the section being staggered half-way between the fins on the other side of the section. a

4. In a radiator having a plurality of sections with overlapping heatradiating fins thereon, end portions-for each section having connectoropenings at the end of the said portion, in each side face of the saidportion, and in each edge face of the section.

5. A radiator section comprising a main body portion having an endportion at each end thereof, an opening at each end of the said portion,an opening in each side face of the end portion of the section, and anopening in each edge surface of the end portion of p the section.

6. A radiator section comprising a main body portion having an endportion at each end thereof, a threaded opening at each end of thesection, an opening in each side face of the end portion "of thesection, and an opening in each edge surface of the end portion of thesection, said section having a series of heat, radiating fins onone-half thereof and another series of fins on the other half thereof,the fins of the first series being alternated with respect to those ofthe second series, the overall dimensions of the radiator sectionthrough the fins being greater: than the overall dimension of theradiator at any other point whereby the fins project beyond the confinesof the radiator and may be arranged in overlapping relation with similarfins of an adjacent radiator section.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

I THOMAS A. NOVOTNEY.

